How does the carbon fusion reaction happen in stars?

X. Tang; B. Bucher; X. Fang; M. Notani; W. P. Tan; Y. Li; P. Mooney; H. Esbensen; C. L. Jiang; K. E. Rehm; C. J. Lin; E. Brown

Âderna Fìzika ta Energetika (Sep 2013)

Affiliations

X. Tang: Department of Physics and Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
B. Bucher: Department of Physics and Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
X. Fang: Department of Physics and Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
M. Notani: Department of Physics and Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
W. P. Tan: Department of Physics and Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
Y. Li: Department of Physics and Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA; China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing, China
P. Mooney: Department of Physics and Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
H. Esbensen: Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA
C. L. Jiang: Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA
K. E. Rehm: Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA
C. J. Lin: China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing, China
E. Brown: Department of Physics and Astronomy, National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory,and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 14, no. 3
pp. 224 – 232

Abstract

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The 12C + 12C fusion reaction is one of the most important reactions in the stellar evolution. Due to its compli-cated reaction mechanism, there is great uncertainty in the reaction rate which limits our understanding of vari-ous stellar objects, such as explosions on the surface of neutron stars, white dwarf (type Ia) supernovae, and massive stellar evolution. In this paper, I will review the challenges in the study of carbon burning. I will also report recent re-sults from our studies: 1) an upper limit for the 12C + 12C fusion cross sections, 2) measurement of the 12C + 12C at deep sub-barrier energies, 3) a new measurement of the 12C(12C, n) reaction. The outlook for the studies of the astrophysical heavy-ion fusion reactions will also be presented.

Published in Âderna Fìzika ta Energetika

ISSN: 1818-331X (Print); 2074-0565 (Online)
Publisher: Institute for Nuclear Research, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Country of publisher: Ukraine
LCC subjects: Science: Physics: Atomic physics. Constitution and properties of matter
Website: http://jnpae.kinr.kiev.ua/

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